1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for enabling a magnetic-tape recording medium such as a video cassette tape to be used as an auxiliary storage device.
2. Background of the Related Art
A recently developed tape recording medium, a digital video tape such as a DVHS tape is a mass storage device in which high-quality digital video and audio signals are recorded; therefore it is expected that the DVHS tape will become popular. Also, a digital video displaying apparatus capable of displaying high-quality video, a digital TV (called as ‘D-TV’ hereinafter), is able to display high-quality digital video provided from a digital satellite broadcast or a super-recording medium such as a DVD. Therefore, a D-TV will also become popular along with a DVHS-VCR which can record and reproduce digital data to/from the DVHS tape.
Accordingly, it is predicted that DVHS-VCR and D-TV will come into wide use and they will interact through a digital interface. The IEEE-1394 digital interface is recommended as a standard for digital connection. Details of the interface are found in IEEE standard 1394, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference wherein.
FIG. 1 is simplified block diagrams of a DVHS-VCR and a D-TV which communicate through a digital interface such as the IEEE 1394. The DVHS-VCR comprises heads 11 for recording and reproducing digital video and audio data to/from a digital video tape; a recording/reproducing signal processor 12 for processing the video/audio data to record or processing the read video/audio data; an interface 14 for sending/receiving data to/from a personal computer (called as ‘PC’ hereinafter) which is connected through a digital interface such as IEEE 1394; and a controller 13 for controlling an overall operation for recording and reproducing data. The D-TV comprises an interface 21 for sending/receiving data to/from the DVHS-VCR connected through a digital interface such as IEEE 1394; a displayer 22 for decoding the received data and presenting video pictures; and a controller 23 for controlling an overall operation for the data presentation.
The data streams communicated between the DVHS-VCR and the D-TV have the transport stream (called as ‘TS’ hereinafter) format which is one of the MPEG formats. The TSs reproduced in the DVHS-VCR are transmitted to the D-TV through the digital interface and then processed to present video pictures in the D-TV. Similarly, the D-TV receives digital satellite broadcasting signals containing high-quality video pictures and then transmits them in the TS format to be recorded in an inserted DVHS tape by the DVHS-VCR.
However, the digital video tape cannot be used as an auxiliary storage device for storing moving picture data files or high-quality music data files such as MP3, which are stored in a memory of a PC, even though it is a mass storage device, since there is no specified data exchanging standard between the digital video tape recorder and the PC.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.